Best of Japanese motorcycles show

Lovingly restored and preserved vintage Japanese motorcycles will be on show this Saturday, May 2, 2015 in Brisbane.

The Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club will host the second annual Vintage Motorcycle Show at Oliver’s Motorcycles, 1098 Ipswich Rd, Moorooka, Brisbane with prizes awarded in several categories for bikes pre 1985 and 1985-2000.

Registration is from 9am, entry is $5 and trophies will be presented at 12.30pm.

Among those showing bikes will be Eric and Merilyne Leah who ride their Honda Bol d’Or bikes almost every day.

Eric and Merilyne Leah’s Honda Bol d’Or motorcycles

While they will show some strokers at the Vintage Show, we have asked them to tell us more about their Bol d’Or bikes since they are in such beautiful condition.

Eric says his CB750FB has been in continuous use, restored, rebuilt and kept on the road since he bought it in 1981.

“The 750 has been to the Centre Rally and back in the early ’80s, before the road was bitumen,” he says. “It’s got over 300,000km on it now; not on the same engine though.”

The CB900F2B was purchased in almost as-is condition about six years ago in a not-quite-running state. “It just needed some fettling,” he says.

Eric and Merilyne are bike fanatics and their first date was at Surfers Paradise raceway for the three-hour production race.

“After this sampling of the terrible pillion seat and footpeg position, she still agreed to go out with me, and in the early part of our courtship we went two-up to a rally in Biloela,” Eric says. “As I only had one set of wet weather gear, and not being able to decide who should get wet if it rained, I didn’t take any at all. Unfortunately it ‘persisted down’ most of the way home, but didn’t seem to dampen our enthusiasm for this type of lifestyle of touring around and rallying.”

Eric’s Bol d’Or and two other Japanese motorcycles in the South Australian desert